


Birth of the Canary

by Writter_of_time



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-05 04:07:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19040824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writter_of_time/pseuds/Writter_of_time
Summary: Sara Lance has just been rescued from Lian Yu. But this is what happens next when she faces the trials of the league of assassins.





	1. Chapter 1

Sara Lance was terrified.

She'd been scared a lot the last few years, nearly drowning in the middle of the South China Sea, held prisoner on the freighter by Ivo then battling SLade and again nearly drowning but now was even worse for her. 

She'd been rescued by this woman with a British accent, Nyssa she had called herself. Nyssa had quickly fixes the basic injuries Sara had and they'd put her in a room on a boat and they'd set off. Nyssa had come in and explained all about the League and that they wanted her to become an assassin. Sara wasn't thrilled with that idea but she was even less keen to have her throat cut and being thrown overboard which is what Nyssa said would happen if she refused. After that she'd been left alone the rest of the journey and when they'd arrived a bag was shoved over her head and she was forced to walk in darkness and when they finally took off the bag Sara was chained up in a dungeon. Sara screamed out for help. But no one came for another hour. 

Eventually Nyssa walked in and explained that before her training can begin she would need to be conditioned. Sara was confused by that.

"What the fuck do you mean conditioning?"

"It means that your old identity needs to be stripped away so you can become a full member of the League. After this you won't see me again for a few weeks but when you are finished you and me will begin your real training."

Before Sara could respond Nyssa walks out. Sara looks around desperately and sees there's no way out. She starts crying in helplessness. She thought this place may be able to help her but now she was in even worse a position than on the island or the freighter.

After a while 2 people walk in. Sara couldn't tell If they were men or women they were covered in armour. Sara begs.

"Please you don't need to do this....I can do the training I'm ready."

One of them just slaps her and Sara yells feeling the sting on her face.

"Quiet"

She heard a woman's voice. So this was a woman doing whatever. Next thing Sara knew they had ripped off all her clothes and underwear leaving her naked. Sara blushes feeling childishly embarrassed about being exposed like this. But they start punching her hard and she screams out in pain. The beating lasts for over an hour and Sara is barely conscious and covered in bruises as they walk out. Sara tries to now rest and save energy but suddenly the dungeon exploded in bright light and she's blinded and a booming voice pounds into her ears.

"SARA LANCE DOES NOT EXIST."

"SARA LANCE IS DEAD"

"YOU NOW SERVE RAS AL GHUL AND WILL DIE FOR HIM."

These words were pounding into her head for over 4 hours. Her head was screaming in agony she could barely remember anything but those words. She couldn't even remember her name when suddenly she hears another noise. A noise she shouldn't be hearing here, a chirping and she sees through the blinding light a yellow canary flying and then it rests on Sara's shoulder and suddenly she remembers who she is again and all about her life.

This process is repeated daily and she is never allowed to eat. She barely sleeps. Every day she is taken and beaten and stabbed and then the same words pounding in her ears but the same canary comes to her and keeps her memories alive. But each day is more of a struggle to remember everything and she eventually feels herself starting to slip under the influence to it.

Sara is finally released 5 weeks later. She is dragged out and thrown into a room. Sara could barely stand and collapses onto the bed. Nyssa walks in a few minutes later or maybe a few hours she can't tell. Sara looks up and quickly covers her still naked form with her hands. This confused Nyssa as she shouldn't have any concept of embarrassment anymore.

"How do you feel?"

Nyssa asks her. Sara glares at her.

"Do you really need an answer to that?"

Nyssa frowns at her. This wasn't right no one answers back like this after conditioning. Nyssa grabs Sara's wrists and asks her.

"What is your name?"

Sara blinks and thinks for a second she genuinely can't remember.

"I...I don't know..."  
This seems to satisfy Nyssa and she lets go but as she does Sara's own name pops into her head. But she doesn't dare say it in case Nyssa hurts her again.

"Okay that's good. The conditioning is complete. You will rest for a day then we begin your training. Your name now will simply be apprentice and you will not be known by anything else is that understood?"

Sara just nods and Nyssa walks out. Suddenly Sara runs as fast as she can to the bathroom in her room and throws up. The torture catching up on her. But she was confused. Nyssa had said the conditioning would wipe out everything but it hadn't. She still remembered her name and all her family and her memories. Yes sometimes it was a struggle and she felt like a robot sometimes but she was still Sara lance and that confused her but she wasn't going to question it.

 

Now all Sara has to do is survive Nyssas training.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara's training begins

Sara spent the next week recovering and resting. No one bothered her apart from to bring her food. It took Sara a few days to get over the physical exhaustion but the mental pain would never fully leave her. She'd wake up in the middle of the name screaming. The conditioning was hurting her to, sometimes she felt just like regular Sara Lance but other times she felt cold and detached like she didn't even know who she was. But every time she did that yellow canary turned up and her memories came back. This scared Sara because she didn't want to lose she was. She'd left her room and watched a few league members and they were all ruthless and cruel. She didn't want to become that.

A week later Nyssa barges into her room when Sara's still sleeping and pulls off her covers. Sara groans at her.

"Heard of knocking?"

Nyssa frowns at her.

"Quiet. Today we begin your training apprentice. Put these on."

She throws an old uniform on the floor. Sara looks at it and picks it up. It stank of old sweat and dried blood. It reminded Sara of something out of karate kid or something.

"I'll pass...you got a tank top and some shorts that'll do me."

Nyssa glares and grabs Sara by her pyjama top.

"Listen girl you will wear that or you will join the rest of the League and you'll be naked."

Sara shrugs.

"I spent 5 weeks chained up naked. It's not much of a threat."

Nyssa couldn't believe her ears. No one is ever this cheeky or rude after conditioning. Some didn't even survive and Nyssa had actually thought Sara would be lucky if she even survived the process but here she was still as gobby as ever. But it had worked she'd been secretly monitoring her and she'd seen signs that Sara was not totally her old self. Nyssa guessed she just had to crush whatever remained of Sara lance. Shs was still holding Sara up. She pulls out a knife.

"Do it. Or I will put this knife somewhere that means you will never mother a child."

Sara winces at the thought.

"Well since you asked so nicely."

Nyssa lets go of her.

"Be in the training hall in ten minutes."

20 minutes after Nyssa left Sara runs into the training hall. Nyssa glares.

"I said 10 minutes not 10 minutes times two. Do you have any excuse for these actions."

Sara folds her arms and nods.

"Yeah I do..."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I didn't know where this place was....you never told me where it was or gave me a guided tour and there's not exactly an information desk around here is there?"

Nyssa glares and chews her lip realising Sara actually had a fair point.

"Well you're here now anyway. Let's begin your training."

Sara nods.

"So you want me to wax your car or paint your house?"

Nyssa looks at her confused.

"What?"

"Seriously? Karate kid? Classic 80s movie? No?....okay never mind." 

She laughs at how confused Nyssa looked. Nyssa just pulls her onto the training floor.

"Okay let's see what you got. Attack me"

"Nah I'm good....I don't need a demo of tough and badass you are. "

Nyssa glares then kicks Sara square in the chest which makes her double over.

"HEY"

"Fight me you stupid girl"

Sara groans and stands up.

"What's the point you'll only beat me?"

"The point is you follow orders now attack or I will personally drop you back off on Lian Yu."

Sara sighs and attacks her with a very sloppy punch. She'd been taught been some basic self defence but fighting Nyssa was a lot different to fighting a couple of school bullies. Nyssa easily defects the punch and throws Sara over onto her back. Sara groans and slowly gets up but before she can Nyssa kicks her square in the face. Blood flies from Sara's mouth as she crashed back into the floor. 

"Wait I wasn't up yet."

She yells at Nyssa. Nyssa walks over and boots her in the stomach.

"Death does not wait, death does not care." 

Sara was doubled up in a ball breathing heavily when suddenly pure rage takes over and Sara jumps up and kicks Nyssa square in the shin which moves her back then Sara hits her with 2 hard punches square on her chin and kicks her in between the legs. Nyssa doubles up and Sara slams a kick into her chest knocking Nyssa to the floor. Sara was growling with rage with only one thought on her mind. Kill. She moves to finish off Nyssa when suddenly the canary flies onto her shoulder and chirps and her head snaps back into reality and all the pain of Nyssas hits come back. Plus her wrist was really sore after hitting Nyssa.

Sara coulnt believe how she'd just acted.

"I..I'm sorry."

Nyssa gets back up smiling.

"That was perfect. It shows there is a killer instinct in you apprentice. the kick in between the legs wasn't needed thank you but you showed heart and grit. Finally we've broken into it."

Sara groans holding her wrist.

"Not the only thing that's broken."

Nyssa laughs and grabs it and clicks her wrist which makes Sara scream out in pain.

"Oww fucking hell Nyssa."

"It's fixed...after we start training properly you will be able to punch without breaking your hand."

"Nyssa...I can't do this...I'm no fighter, I'm not even that athletic I danced for a bit so okay I guess I've got some agility and flexibility but look at me I'm 5 foot nothing and 100 pounds..."

Nyssa shakes her head.

"Size doesn't matter for a warrior. The league comes in all shapes and sizes and you hit hard apprentice even now. But for your sake I hope your a good student."

"Why? What do you mean by that?"

"You have 1 full year of training then you and another apprentice will fight for your spot in the League."

"Okay....so will your father be the referee?"

"There aren't any referees."

Sara was confused by this.

"Well how do you know who's won?"

Nyssa just smiles.

"The one who's dead....doesn't.."

Sara's eyes widen.

"You can't be serious? I can't kill anyone?"

"Apprentice what did you think you'd be doing in the league of assassins?

"I...I..."

"Really it does not matter. You will fight you will either kill or be killed so if you wish to live you better train hard. Dismissed apprentice."

Sara runs out and sprints back to her room as fast as she can and locks herself in and strips to her underwear and looks in the mirror and sees all the bruises on her body and her face. She sighs and runs a shower and steps under the water. She was still thinking about thr rage that took her over. It scared her. Sara could always get angry before but never like that. Was this really the conditioning slowly destroying Sara Lance for good but if so why did this canary keep appearing and reminding her of Laurel and her dad and all her friends. She was terrified about this fight where she'd either die or become a murderer. She had no idea how this would end up. Sara groans and mumbles under her breath to herself.

"All this because of a one night stand on a boat."

**Author's Note:**

> Right so new story. I've not quit Rise Of The Canary. But I need to have time to process and figure out where that stories going next, hope you enjoy this in the meantime.


End file.
